Polyphaga is the largest and most diverse
suborder
Order ( la, ordo) is one of the eight major hierarchical taxonomic ranks in Linnaean taxonomy. It is classified between family and class. In biological classification, the order is a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms and ...
of
beetle
Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ...
s. It comprises 144 families in 16 superfamilies, and displays an enormous variety of specialization and adaptation, with over 350,000 described species, or approximately 90% of the beetle species so far discovered.
Key characteristics of Polyphaga are that the hind
coxa (base of the leg) does not divide the first and second abdominal/ventral plates which are known as
sternites. Also, the
notopleural suture (found under the pronotal shield) is not present.
Etymology
The name of ''polyphaga'' is derived from two Greek words: , meaning 'many', and , meaning 'to eat', so the suborder is called the “eaters of many things”.
Classification
The five main infraorders are:
*
Bostrichiformia — including
furniture beetles and
skin beetle
Dermestidae are a family of Coleoptera that are commonly referred to as skin beetles. Other common names include larder beetle, hide or leather beetles, carpet beetles, and khapra beetles. There are over 1,100 species described.
Dermestids have ...
s
*
Cucujiformia — includes
lady beetle
Coccinellidae () is a widespread family of small beetles ranging in size from . They are commonly known as ladybugs in North America and ladybirds in Great Britain. Some entomologists prefer the names ladybird beetles or lady beetles as they ...
s,
longhorn beetle
The longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae), also known as long-horned or longicorns, are a large family of beetles, with over 35,000 species described. Most species are characterized by extremely long antennae, which are often as long as or longer than ...
s,
weevil
Weevils are beetles belonging to the superfamily Curculionoidea, known for their elongated snouts. They are usually small, less than in length, and herbivorous. Approximately 97,000 species of weevils are known. They belong to several families, ...
s,
checkered beetle
Cleridae are a family of beetles of the superfamily Cleroidea. They are commonly known as checkered beetles. The family Cleridae has a worldwide distribution, and a variety of habitats and feeding preferences.
Cleridae have many niches and fee ...
s and
leaf beetles
*
Elateriformia — includes
click beetles and
fireflies
*
Scarabaeiformia
Scarabaeoidea is a superfamily of beetles, the only subgroup of the infraorder Scarabaeiformia. Around 35,000 species are placed in this superfamily and some 200 new species are described each year. Its constituent families are also undergoing ...
— includes
scarab beetles,
stag beetle
Stag beetles are a family of about 1,200 species of beetles in the family Lucanidae, currently classified in four subfamilies.Smith, A.B.T. (2006). A review of the family-group names for the superfamily Scarabaeoidea (Coleoptera) with corrections ...
s, and
dung beetles
*
Staphyliniformia
Staphyliniformia is a large infraorder of beetles. It contains over 70,000 described species from all regions of the world. Most species occur in moist habitats - various kinds of rotting plant debris, fungi, dung, carrion, many live in fresh wat ...
— includes
rove beetles and
water scavenger beetles
Phylogenetic studies have also suggested that Scirtoidea (
Scirtidae,
Decliniidae), Clamboidea (
Clambidae,
Derodontidae,
Eucinetidae), ''
Rhinorhipus'' and
Nosodendridae
Nosodendridae is a family of beetles, with only 67 species in three extant genera, which are found worldwide. '' Nosodendron'', the largest genus, is found in forests and attracted to yeast generated slime on the wounds of trees, and likely consu ...
are independent lineages of Polyphaga that lie outside these groups.
The internal classification of Polyphaga involves several superfamilies or series, whose constituents are relatively stable, although some smaller families (whose rank even is disputed) are allocated to different clades by different authors. Large superfamilies include
Hydrophiloidea,
Staphylinoidea
Staphylinoidea is a superfamily of beetles. It is a very large and diverse group with worldwide distribution.
Description
Adult staphylinoids are generally small beetles no more than a few millimetres long, though Staphylinidae can reach 50 mm ...
,
Scarabaeoidea,
Buprestoidea
Buprestoidea is a superfamily of beetles.
It contains two families:
* Buprestidae Leach 1815, the jewel beetle
Buprestidae is a family of beetles known as jewel beetles or metallic wood-boring beetles because of their glossy iridescent colo ...
,
Byrrhoidea
Byrrhoidea is a superfamily of beetles belonging to Elateriformia that includes several families which are either aquatic or associated with a semi-aquatic habitat. Other than the superfamily Hydrophiloidea, most of the remaining Polyphagan beetl ...
,
Elateroidea, and
Bostrichoidea
Bostrichoidea is a superfamily of beetles. It is the type superfamily of the infraorder Bostrichiformia.
Description
The Bostrichoidea are united by the following features: modified cryptonephridism, the structure of the aedeagus in males, an ...
.
The infraorder
Cucujiformia includes the vast majority of
phytophagous (plant-eating) beetles, united by cryptonephric
Malpighian tubules of the normal type, a cone
ommatidium with open
rhabdom, and lack of functional
spiracles on the eighth abdominal segment. Constituent superfamilies of Cucujiformia are
Cleroidea
Cleroidea is a small superfamily of beetles containing over 10,000 species. Most of the members of the group are somewhat slender, often with fairly soft, flexible elytra, and typically hairy or scaly.
Description
Cleroidea is defined by the f ...
,
Cucujoidea
Cucujoidea is a superfamily of beetles. This group formerly included all of the families now included in the superfamily Coccinelloidea. They include some fungus beetles and a diversity of lineages of "bark beetles" unrelated to the "true" bark ...
,
Tenebrionoidea,
Chrysomeloidea, and
Curculionoidea
Weevils are beetles belonging to the superfamily Curculionoidea, known for their elongated snouts. They are usually small, less than in length, and herbivorous. Approximately 97,000 species of weevils are known. They belong to several families, ...
. Evidently adoption of a phytophagous lifestyle correlates with taxon diversity in beetles, with Cucujiformia, especially
weevil
Weevils are beetles belonging to the superfamily Curculionoidea, known for their elongated snouts. They are usually small, less than in length, and herbivorous. Approximately 97,000 species of weevils are known. They belong to several families, ...
s (
Curculionoidea
Weevils are beetles belonging to the superfamily Curculionoidea, known for their elongated snouts. They are usually small, less than in length, and herbivorous. Approximately 97,000 species of weevils are known. They belong to several families, ...
), forming a major radiation.
See also
*
List of subgroups of the order Coleoptera
References
*
External links
Phylogeny of InsectsSite devoted to Staphyliniformiasite devoted to stag beetlesnews article highlighting the damage caused by Longhorn beetles*
Insect suborders
{{Polyphaga-stub